pinku

Nervous knitting

Nora's shrug-like pattern is making me nervous.

I think I'm up to my 5th pentagon and the lack of schematics with the pattern means that I can't really check whether I'm on the right track. Sure mine match up to the measurements of the side of pentagon as shown in the pattern, but I still feel very nervous. I had to substitute yarn which I'm sure a lot of people are doing and I think I chose one that is a little too flimsy. It's a wool/silk blend (70%/30%) that I like, but I should have gone with the wool/alpaca blend instead. I went against all my instincts and just kept on knitting. I do have reservations about the fit of the sweater (especially the under arm area - it even looks squishy on the model) and nothing makes me more nervous than spending all this time knitting little pentagons that you join together rather than something in one-piece that you can try on as you go. I'm thinking aloud.

Also after finishing the first two pentagons and proudly holding them up and showing Darin - he immediately made me hold it against my chest area because..... well they do look like chest pasties. It's been a fun knit so far though (well, except for all the accompanying nervousness) - oh make sure you like casting on LOTS of stitches before you start this project - you need to cast on over 130 sts with every pentagon (so that's like 11 times). Bad Mom, Good Mom knit her pentagons in the round and they look great!!

BTW, the new Rebecca magazine (No. 33 - spring and summer 2007) is out, but nothing really grabs me - at all. Good I can save my money.

I liked the brown preview section the best - i.e. the tank and the bell-sleeve crochet(?) top. Maybe I'll wear brown and orange/yellow to work tomorrow.

Do you like chunky?

The other thing I wanted to talk about the other day is chunky knits. What do you think about them? Are they just for the skinny models?

I just pre-ordered Wenlan Chia's upcoming book, Twinkle's Big City Knits. There are a few sneak peek photos here.

including this one

I'm also considering cancelling my order. I'm sure the photos and the designs will be super cute (this point may win me over in the end), but how would they look on me? I'm not a petite person as I (unfortunately or fortunately) did not inherit my father's Asian body shape. I love the Kim Hargreaves cardigan I made out of Big Wool, but it teeters on the edge with regards to chunkiness for me. I don't need any extra bulk (even though it is very warm and toasty). I love the idea of quick knits - fun times for sure, but I just don't know about chunky knits. I think the book would be super popular here in Japan where baggy is IN (which is good for me too because their baggy is my fitted).

Speaking of fitted, one up and coming knitting book that I won't be cancelling is Fitted Knits by Stephanie Japel. I have high hopes for this book and am sure I will be satisfied. I think Steph's designs flatter all types of body shapes and I like the idea of fitted knits.

On a completely unrelated note I found out yesterday that employees from my company get a 20% discount at all Dean and Deluca stores throughout Japan - I think there are only five though. Luckily one is right near my work. The discount still doesn't make lunch there cheap - it just makes it affordable. I was also very strong today and resisted the doughnuts from Doughnut Plant. A great thing about D&D in Japan is that they offer half sizes of all their sandwiches, bagels and quiches, so today I had half a piece of Quiche Lorraine and half of a lox bagel. Yum!!!

Hope everyone has a great weekend! See you next week!

Virtual Garage sale?

I think I'm gonna have a virtual garage sale.

I thought of this brilliant idea while swimming today. Doing laps is very therapeutic, not only for my physical self but it also gives me an opportunity to work through issues, and brainstorm new ideas. I have so much stuff that I loved at some point but don't use anymore and other stuff that I just probably should never have bought. Ah yes, we've all been there. I would just have a normal garage sale, but we don't have a garage and it's just not done in Japan. I'll put anything leftover on ebay. Just need to purge and get some money back instead of spending it - cough, cough!

I've got unworn shoes from here, Japanese craft books (mostly older ones that can't be bought on amazon anymore), and a bunch of other stuff. Should be fun.

Talking of spending - sweet Taeko informed me at our SNB on Tuesday night that you can now buy ADDIS in Japan - OMG! Not only that, she told me they are around 600 yen - LESS than half the price I paid in the US ($14.95 - ouch). I purchased (cough) 14 (cough) pairs yesterday, Please don't do the math. But as Rae and I talked about the other day - this kind of purchase is a total investment!! All of the larger sizes and popular cable lengths are sold out, but I only really wanted needles that are a size 5 and smaller as I use my Denise needles for larger projects anyway. I also bought a whole set of small circs with a whopping 60-inch cable. I figure I'll teach myself the magic loop technique. They are even selling addi circs with a THREE METRE cable - um, crazy.

You can buy the addis online in Japan at ASATSURU - they even have an English page - cute!

Oh, btw have any of you used a knitting thimble? They are sold out of the INOX ones but they look kind of handy.

Still on the topic of shopping, Fred Flare has done it again - they are selling one of a kind Amy Sedaris fake cakes. I really want one, but I'm going to try and resist (considering the purchase of 14 pairs of needles and did I mention the yarn I also bought yesterday.....). Anyway, you should totally get one thought (pink!, get the pink) and I'll be so jealous - they are also personally signed by Amy. I also love the Amy Sedaris pastry pouch - cute!

Man are we still on the topic of shopping. I just can't resist. It's kind of like my addiction to amazing tv like 'I Love New York'. It's produced by Ken Mok of ANTM fame - oh and did you know that's my last name too. I so wish we were related. As I told Claire I was a bit disappointed with the first episode, but man did it pick up this week with the mangeant (i.e. male beauty pageant).

I have plenty more things I want to chat about today, but um, I think I've written enough.

Knitting Round-up for 2006

February saw my first big FO of the year - Forecast by Stephanie Japel

Review: Success at last! I love this sweater and wear it OFTEN (isn't that a nice change). The Rowan Cork has held up beautifully and is so warm and soft - it's SO sad that it has been discontinued. I'll be taking this to the snow to wear this weekend. I feel a little sad looking at this photo because the yellow button at the very bottom was lost very soon after this photo. Silly me didn't sew them on properly the first time. They are vintage and I don't have a replacement.

Full post can be found here.

April saw the completion of my Sockapaloooza socks - Pomatomus from Knitty

Review: After a few false starts with this pattern, I loved knitting these socks and I think they came out pretty good. I hope my sockapaloooza pal likes them.

Full post can be found here.

June saw Ms Marigold bloom. Pattern by the ladies at Zephyr Style.

Review: I also had a few false starts with this top. I hadn't knit with Rowan Calmer before and didn't realize just how stretchy it is. I really love this vest though and although I had to make a few changes to the pattern, it turned out pretty cute. I wore this top quite a few times to work over the summer/autumn season.

Full post can be found here.

In July I finally finished my counterfeit crochet Louis Vuitton belt.

Review: This was a really different but fun project to participate in. It was fun to crochet without a pattern and kind of make it up as I went along. I still really want to complete a matching bag as I have all of the yarn prepared - it is definitely on the project list for 2007.

Full post can be found here.

In August I finished a very appropriate summer top using washi/nylon yarn and pattern from Avril.

Review: Wow it took a while to get used to knitting with such a strange yarn - not the most fun I've ever had knitting but I actually really like the way it turned out. This has been worn both to work and on the weekends.

Full post can be found here.

In October, Florence was finally finished. I used Jaeger Pure Cotton (discontinued) and a pattern from Rowan 35.

Review: Considering that I started knitting this top in October 2005, I really didn't think that it would ever get finished. I'm pretty proud of the fact that I pulled it out of its dark storage location and finished promptly within a couple of weeks from within that time. This is the most complicated top I've knit to date. It involved my very first fairaisle, lots of lace with shaping, button bands, a collar and set-in sleeves. I really love the way it turned out. It's kind of heavy because it's cotton but because of this it hangs nicely and it feels vintage-y and pretty special. This top has been worn more than a few times. The only problem is though that it has to be teamed with high-waisted skirts or pants, of which I don't have many.

Full post can be found here.

My Rebecca cardigan was finished in November. It is a Kim Hargreaves set using Rowan Big Wool.

Review: This cardigan was a super quick knit and is very, very warm and soft. But it is bulky and the yarn pills (to the point of felting) almost immediately. It was a tad expensive, but I love the colour and the warmth. It has already got a lot of use this season, but I have to wear it with a bigger spring coat as it won't fit under any of my winter coats!!! I probably won't use Big Wool again for anything other than a hat or bag.

Full post can be found here.

My Jaywalkers finally got finished in November after running out of the beautiful Socks that Rock yarn that was gifted to me by Stephanie.

Review: Even though I miscalculated and ran out of yarn, I still love these socks to bit. Look at those pretty colours - Steph did a great job of selecting this colourway just for me. Look, is there really anything better than wearing a pair of handknit wool socks and boots on a cold winter's day!!!

Full post can be found here.

SO overall 2006 has been a pretty good knitting year. I only knit two pairs of socks though and I would definitely like to knit more next year. There are many other items that I finished knitting this year that haven't made it on to the blog - mainly because of my laziness. I might still get around to it you know. I did finish a pair of knee high slippers and a fair isle hat among a bunch of other hats and slippers!! I already have an extensive TO-KNIT list for 2007 and I've got a project planned to start knitting over the new year. Good times! Good times!

Wishing everyone a wonderful and happy new year from the Bendall-Mok clan!!! See you in 2007!!!

love kat, daz, sugar and loretta OOXX

Our first week back

Has involved catching up with our cute pigs. We missed them terribly. A big thank you to C&J for taking care of them and giving them lots of cuddles.

It also involved our first experience with caviar. A few weeks ago I did a favor for someone at work that was travelling to Azerbaijan on a business trip so he brought me back some Azeri caviar. I was scared of those tiny black eggs even though I've eaten plenty of fish eggs here in Japan.

To make a night out of it, we headed to C&J's place for a Russia themed night and man did we feast - Chicken Kiev, creamy cheesey mushrooms, mashed potatos, champagne, caviar, white russians and all the Russian music you can imagine. So we braced ourselves for the caviar tasting and made sure we had some cream cheese on hand (we heard it complements the taste of the caviar). It turns out that we all LOVE caviar. We are totally prepared for high society.

We also spent time enjoying our park and the autumn leaves. It sucks how they've stopped people having fleamarkets on the weekend by the way. Mitaka city - stop trying to take the impromptu fun out of Inokashira Park!!!

oh and here are my jaywalkers! I finished them with a light pink yarn and they are still cute, cute, cute. Not so mutant like at all.

Superbuzzy + New Cardigan

As you may already know the ladies of Superbuzzy, Kelly and Mariko were in Japan last week and I gave them a quick crafty tour of Kichijoji and then we managed to catch up for dinner again the day before they left!! It was super fun!

From L to R: Chico (Mariko's friend), me, Stefana, Kelly in back, Mariko in front, Minato-san - the CHIEF of the Rowan store here in Tokyo, Trico

Here's a nice one of Kelly and Daz

Oh and I finished my Kim Hargreaves Rebecca Cardigan - man is Big Wool a quick knit. It's a very pretty colour and is super warm - kinda too warm almost (for this crazy warm/cold Tokyo weather anyway). I have worn it a total of three times and the bottom of one side has already started to felt quite a bit - right where my bag was rubbing against it I guess. Note to self - don't let anything rub against this delicate and expensive cardie. Not sure whether I'd knit a whole sweater out of Big Wool ever again considering its cost and bulkiness - there is no way I could wear the cardie under a coat and it feels like I'm wearing a blanket (*note that this can be a positive thing) . I do love the shape though and may convert the pattern for a smaller gauge yarn.

I felt inspired on Sunday morning and took these crazy photos.

I wore my sparkly green dress (which was thrifted here in Tokyo) with a lovely gold belt to the Australia-Brazil soccer game back in June - Australia's usual colours are green and gold but unfortunately we wore our away colours that game (dark blue) so it looked like I was supporting Brazil. No, no, no!

Here it is without the cardie and me doing something silly.

Here is the area where it is felting. I have already taken to it with a pair of scissors.

Did I mention how excited we are about going to the US??!!! Well we are and now it is only four days away. This time we will only be visiting Oklahoma and Texas and I'm hoping to do LOTS of thrifting/op-shopping!!! I can't wait for my first real Thanksgiving. I'm thinking of buying a stretchy jersey dress to wear so that it will expand with my stomach as I eat and eat and eat!!!!!

Tokyo Yarn Store List

I've just updated the Tokyo Yarn Store List (click to download the excel file). This list was originally started by Tricoquelicot for the Tokyo SNB yahoo group and then I just added some commentary and other details to make the list more complete. The only real change to the updated list is that the Rowan store in Ebisu moved and I also added opening hours and regular closing dates for stores where possible. If you have any other stores that should be added to the list let me know.

While updating the list and searching store websites I found some pretty cute free patterns for some slippers and hats on the Puppy website. The first slipper pattern seems very similar to the very popular pocketbook slipper pattern.

I'm not so sure about the hat pattern though - seems a little too tea cozy-ish like for me.

Breaking the Japanese craft book drought

I had some spare time before meeting a friend for drinks on Friday night, so I popped into Okadaya in Shinjuku. If you are looking for Japanese craft books, they have a great selection. Another recommendation for craft books is Book 1st in Shibuya. I promise you won't leave empty handed unless you have superforce strength willpower.

I usually avoid Shinjuku as much as possible because the place gives me the biggest headache, but I realized on Friday night that it's super fun to venture out into the BIG, BIG city every now and again because you can see lots of crazy and fun things like this guy who was headbanging along with a few groupies.

Most of the new knitting books came out in September and I have to admit I was a little disappointed - many featured patterns that seemed very similar to last year. Finally I found a few books on Friday night that I wanted. I limited myself to three since I didn't want to carry around anymore. I took some blurry photos this morning while still half asleep - sorry 'bout that. These photos have also convinced me that we really do need a new camera.

The first is a book about felt - it's colourful, inspirational and oh so cute. (click here to view book on Amazon Japan)

Here's a couple of images from the books:

felt brooch

I also bought a small knitting book dedicated to room shoes (aka slippers), which was released by Nihon Vogue last week. It's hot off the presses!! These make great presents for people and also make for quick fun knitting!!

I love the mary jane slippers on the front, and the ones in the photo below. Actually I pretty much like all of the patterns, but most of the photos I took were too blurry....note to self - need new camera!!!!

the rug pattern is also in the book

The last book I bought is from the very cheap Ondori series of Japanese craft books and is about macrame. (click to view book on Amazon Japan) Lately I have been thinking about how my mum used to do macrame when I was little and thought I'd check it out. There are a couple of cute bag patterns in there and the book only cost 280 yen!! They'll look great in some really brightly coloured hemp yarn.

So there are a few more photos from inside the books on my flickr so check 'em out!!!!

Knitting Peaches

This year's Knit Out was great - actually it's the first one I've ever been too. It was a bit tiring and nervewracking waiting around to do the talk shows, but heaps of people were there and it was great to see people young and old sitting around knitting!!

The venue - Omotesando Hills

The patterns and yarn that was being given away

There was a knitting performance

Another reason Pinn rules - her awesome Halloween costume!!

there was knit art

And Taeko and I managed to get through two talk shows without any major hiccups. Talking in front of a large crowd in your native language is hard enough, but doing it in your second language is even worse. Except I'm kind of adept at blocking out Japanese (even my own) and ignoring my mistakes. Thanks to Taeko for all of your support!!!

The highlight of the day though, without a doubt was PEACHES and the HERMS! As soon as I finished my second talk show, Daz and I ran to the train station so we could get to the venue on time. The show was due to start at 6pm and it really did start right on six with no support bands (good ol' Japan). It was so weird to be watching the crazy powerful, energetic, rauchy band at 6pm in the evening (I think they were slightly weirded out by it too). We got out of there by 7:15pm - crazy. I found out we weren't supposed to take photos when one of the staff grabbed at my camera but luckily he didn't make me delete the photos I had already taken. Peaches did all of her costume changes on stage - she'd just rip off one layer after another and then add some awesome capes.

Right at the end of the show, Peaches and Radio Sloan spat out some red (blood-like) liquid into the crowd - when they turned the lights on at the end the young Japanese girl in front of me turned around and looked at me completely horrified that her clothes were now covered in red stains - I just reassured her that it would come out in the wash.

And Darin even made some new friends after the show.

Dolly and We're MARCH!

Recently I've been lusting after a vintage Dolly Parton tshirt - do you have one that you want to part with? Probably not. Why would you want to. Finally I found the most adorable tshirt transfer on ebay and WON the auction, but to my dismay the seller is not responding to my emails - why!!!! They also have no other auctions listed at the moment. I came so close to this but am still so far.

I haven't ripped my socks yet but I'm going to do it tonight. Here's the kit I bought from the Kim Hargreaves website. It's the Rebecca Cardigan made from Big Wool. I've never used Big Wool before and the name is apt because that stuff is 'big'. I've never knit with needles so big!! I guess it's a great yarn for beginners because it knits up so quick and also because you can see every mistake and the way your decreases and increases look very clearly - it's kind of scary actually. It's like looking at your knitting with a magnifying glass. I finished all of the knitting last night so I just need to seam the sleeves and set them in. It's bulky and that's got me worried, but it is oh so soft and cuddly. We're going camping on the weekend so maybe I'll take my new cardie for a spin in the hills of Tochigi (or not considering how much I paid for the whole darn kit).

UPDATED to include:

The KNITTY Calendar is up for sale in the KNITTY shop! Congrats to all the winners (that includes me, Jo and Jenn too - woohoo!)! Go buy one now! Our free copy of the calendar will be given to our wonderful, beautiful and generous photographer Martine!!

What a great cover - I agree with Amy that looking at it feels like a big warm hug!!! BTW, we're MARCH - a fine month heralding the end of winter - how perfect!